Happy New Year!

When I look at my blog, I realize how much has happened since my last post.  Of course, I hardly stopped to breathe during the last two months!  My how the time does fly!!!  On the other side of that coin I can look at how much I have accomplished during this time.  So, my "blog-neglect" has been worth it!  Truthfully, housework & PC went out the window - pared down to essentials - like food, which my hubby certainly appreciated... LOL! 

Looking back - I finished 8 table runners, a table topper for Thanksgiving & completed 3 quilts.  One t-shirt memory quilt as a sample, helped a friend make & complete a t-shirt quilt for Christmas and quilted it for her - it's a monster - finished king size!  And the best part of all - I finished my Foolish Goose Tracks "Block-of-the-Month" Queen sized quilt for my son.  It was his Christmas gift and was on his bed the same day.  It is beautiful & he says he really loves sleeping under it!  Oh, I nearly forgot .... I also played with my scraps and made three journal covers.  They were SO much fun!  I definitely plan to make more of those in the future.

 This is the 1st of the 3 journals...

And the Table Runners.... 

And two LSU Tiger table runners for my brothers...

 

If you click on the detail you might be able to see the fleur de lis quilting & echoes in the purple, gold & white calico.... just a perfect fabric for my LSU theme!

 

And this is the last one for 2009.... a gift for a dear friend... guess there are others too, now that I think about ... LOL!  I was a prolific table runner maker for a season!  It was nice to be able to give gifts that I had made for each of my dearest friends & family members... What a blessing for me this year!

 This is the Foolish Goose Tracks quit completely finished.  The quilting work came out just fabulous if I must say so myself!!  I love this quilt and was quite a feeling of accomplishment when the last of the binding was stitched down!

The images below are detail of some of the machine quilting.... took me a couple of day of hard work, but what a great feeling!

And here's my friend Jane's memory quilt....

 

Thrown in was babysitting for these absolutely precious babies 

<<<< Mike

                          >>>>>>Tommy

& a few other little detours, like Christmas shopping & some PTO responsibilities... Okay,  maybe I need a nap now that I've written all that down..... and I wonder why I'm in "sleep-in" mode now that it is all done & delivered! LOL!  

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!   Looking forward to what God has for me and more "Adventures in Quilting" in 2010!

Adventures in Quilting

Okay.... I've been keeping myself quite busy and finished a couple of projects.  Since I must be about Christmas, the 1st thing I did when I came back from vacation was to finish my "Fit to be Tied" table topper by Pam Bono Designs.   

I am very pleased with how my top turned out - it's very similar, except for the border & corners to the original color suggestions.  I used some very different techniques that were quite complex, but by the end of the quilt were much easier.  Don't you love the way the green looks like leaves?

Just before we left I finished piecing a memory quilt.  This is my sample that I will use to make them.  What a wonderful way to use all those special t-shirts & commemorate events... This one used 12 blocks & I can make them up to 20 blocks.  This was made it with my son's shirts and focused only on his high school years & football.

Both of these items are next in line on the quiilting machine - as soon as I finish my next QOV.... here's a few pictures of the quilting on the last QOV I did... I machine quilt for QOV (Quilts of Valor).  I really enjoy being a part of this program.  Truly, I love the way the quilting work on this one... believe it was my best work yet!

You'll have to click on the images to really see the quilting....  I am pleased & so was the person I quilted it for... great feeling!

 

I used a King Tut red, cream & blue varigated thread - I really love the way King Tut sews & looks!  However, I must say Maxine doesn't like it... but we're learning to get along :)

Okay, Maxine, as my longarm is affectionately known is loaded & waiting for me... one QOV down, then 2 (or 3, or 4) personal projects!! 

Until next time....

Adventures in the Ozarks!

I will pause my adventures in quilting for a family reunion & some much needed R&R....

We spent the last week in the Ozarks traveling 1st for a family reunion in Stilwell, OK and then a little R&R .... in Eureka Springs, AR.  Eureka is a unique town and had been nearly 20 years since I went that way.  Interesting, because not much has changed.  The only real bummer was that it rained, no poured, every day we were gone.   When it wasn't pouring, it was misting and chilly.  We also missed the glorious full fall foliage by one week... but can't control family reunions unless you're planning them - LOL!

The BIGGEST surprise were the gifts from my husband RW's family - he is better know as "Joe" amongst them.  His sister-in-law, Jean, presented him with a photo album with pictures from the past 50 years or so.  This was a huge gift that really touched his heart as he has very, very few pictures from his lifetime.

Here's his brother & two of his sisters - one didn't make it.  They are Cherokee.

From bottom left Margaret & George and then top - RW "Joe" & Katie

Joe was also given a nice gift basket from his sister with a print for our home & other goodies, plus some locally made beaded jewelry for myself.... but the piece de' resistance was a quilt that was made by his mother, more than 50 years ago.  We both had tears in our eyes over this.  It was an an answer to prayer! His sister, Katie, realized that we did not have one of "momma's quilts" and wanted us to have one.    She let us choose - and this is the one we picked.... I just love it - and you can be sure, it may be old, but it will be used & loved as it has been already for many, many years!

This quilt is completely hand pieced - all little diamond shapes... the blocks that look white are actually fabric that has completely lost its color.  Every piece (look between the stars to see the shape of the blocks) is the same one.  Look how she finished the edges.  It is a scrap quilt completely in the traditional sense.  Joe's sisters were looking at it and remembering their dresses & "Granny's" dresses that it was made from.  I can see a few men's shirts too.

It is hand quilted in the Baptist Fan design.  Joe says that is how his mother quilted every one of her quilts.   I'm not so sure about that, but I do know that was her favorite quilting design.  Interestingly enough - she apparently did NOT like hand stitching down the binding, so it is machine sewn.... Well, we have good company there!  Except for a few tatters here & there, the quilt is soft cuddly and in incredibly good shape. 

Now, we're heading down the road & ended at this charming B&B... fabulous breakfast!

Here's a little bit of my story.  I actually lived just north of Eureka Springs, Arkansas for about 2.5 years, about 20 years ago.  I actually worked in Eureka at a little bitty hospital that is still there and has not changed at all... Can't grow, no place for it to go - but it does serve a need in the community.

It was lovely to be in Eureka in spite of the downpour & constant misty rain.  Highlight of the trip?  Couples massage at the Cresent Hotel & then gourmet Mexican dinner.... absolutely incredible!  

Adventures in Quilting

And so the journey continues... Quilting is truly an adventure!

Here's an exciting event coming up!






Working on some new & exciting things - Have the 1st block done in the Pam Bono "Fit to Be Tied" table topper....It's gorgeous, but man it's a lot of piecing. Okay, had to stop to piece a T-Shirt Quilt and help a friend do the same....know anyone who would like a memory quilt?  Pic SOON! Will post when done. Have to say it's just looking fabulous!

 Fit to be Tied - Block A

Till next time... as we continue the adventures in quilting!

Adventures in Quilting

You might find it funny for me to say "adventures" in quilting... but truly it is an adventure - and there seems to never be a dull moment... from watching a quilting pattern unfold on the longarm to piecing adventures.... well.... okay.....

See this beautiful quilt top - this is the center of the quilt (sans borders 2 & 3, that is).... I have been working on this quilt since the beginning of the year - it's called Foolish Goose Tracks.  I am thrilled to say that I have FINALLY completed this quilt top - now it waits for the studio so it can be quilted.... Okay, back to my story.... well, I held this quilt up a couple of months ago and what I saw - I couldn't believe - I had sewn an entire diagonal row in upside down!  Oh no!  Okay - so I have to admit, this really bummed me out - so it sat for a while... looking at me - with a glaring error until one night I said "enough" and began my frogging adventure.... and you're not going to believe this - but I managed to sew the entire row in, again, upside down.... so a frogging we go - but this time, I'm a woman on a mission.... and voila! The fixed quilt.... It is a thing of beauty isn't it.... and so below is the finished quilt top... well, as much of it as I could take a picture of until I can get the guys to hold it up for me again....  (I still managed to sew the borders on upside down and had to remove & redo... ah, well... this is a mark of the patience that has grown in me over the years!!)

Aren't the borders just magnificent?    This is such an accomplishment for me and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have this finished.  I had to make a deal with myself that I could not start my next piecing project until this was done.... I have to admit I was getting bored with the borders, but they were SO worth it!

So what else have I been working on?  Well, I have been quite busy.... Like I said, I had to make deals with myself to make progress on Foolish Goose Tracks - which sure fooled me more than once.... 

Finished this sweet little baby pinwheel quilt - down to the tags... Don't ask me why, but my tags were a huge hold up for me... I wanted them to look a certain way - and I agonized over them - and finally, I created what I wanted.  I am quite pleased with the finished result.
FYI - This quilt is now blessing my newest great-niece Madeline, born September 2nd!  Isn't she absolutely beautiful... Don't think I've ever seen a more content & happy looking newborn!!

What else???  A pile of table runners!  This will mostly be given as gifts - in fact one goes out the door for a wedding gift this weekend.  These have been fun - quick easy - took no time to quilt on the longarm (did them two at a time).... and there will be a very large pile of them by Christmas!

 

 

In the meantime, I'm having so much fun making these!!  All they lack is the binding.  Today is binding day.... I will have the binding cut & sewn on at least one today... after all one is a gift that must be completed right away.  So, again, for me, it's "let's make a deal" time - a deal with myself.  I have to put binding on at least one so I can work on my next project....  Something for our home that will grace the kitchen table this fall. 

This design is "Fit to be Tied" from Pam Bono [Click here to check out Pam Bonos website]... It will certainly be a challenge for me... Looks large doesn't it?  Well, here's the pieces, which I did cut out (making deals with self - LOL) ...  It's lots & lots of little pieces.... but will be so much fun!  After I cut out ALL the binding & get it ready, then sew it on at least one table runner - if not all, then I can give myself permission to start it.  Actually, I kind of like it when I complete stuff and feel like I have a clean slate... so, it might be tomorrow before the fun of piecing begins.  Can't wait to show off the finished table topper - gracing my table, of course!

That's enough for today!  Most assuredly have been staying busy ... and I didn't even include the longarm QOV's I've been doing!  Till next time and we continue on with "Adventures in Quilting!"

Check out this beautiful new Block of the Month. I just love the colors of the fabric called "Green Peace" which is of course by Moda. This is way too much applique for me, but it is beautiful!

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Green-Piece-Moda-Block-of-the-Month.asp

What about this one - now, I'm in love with this BOM - It's called "Dancing with the Stars". This one really tempts me!

More pics come soon... as I continue my "Adventures in Quilting!"

Baby Boom

I have been quilting for a while and suddenly finished up several quilts, which felt extremely good.... Here's the latest I have been working on.....



These are called "Stars are Born" - they are quilts made my new identical great nephews.... I'll post pics of the babies soon. Their names are Mike & Tommy. Mike weighs 2.5 lbs & Tommy weight 1.5 lbs. They are both doing absolutely incredible! God is SO good!


The quilt below is a Block of the Month that I have worked on for over a year. I did some extensive quilting on it - it was certainly a challenge quilt, but I am proud to be hanging it on my living room wall.

I will post a finished picture soon - when it is hanging on the living room wall - the quilting work just came out gorgeous - if I must say so myself... here's a preview:











The finished pic will come soon.... cause I'm buying the rod this weekend!! It's finished & I really want to say "It is done!" This pattern was awesome and is available from Debbie Mumm online in the project archives. Just fell in love with this one!

Lastly, another baby quilt that is only lacking the binding, which is made, just needs to be sewed on. Thought I 'd have that done by now, but life being what it is .... I spent the middle of my day entertaining my great niece so that I could give the mom's of the twins a break... (the babies won't come home till late October, but mom is healing).... it was fun!


This quilt was fun & easy.... is called Baby Pinwheels. I just love the Prarie Points inner border! The pattern for this one can be found at www.modabakeshop.com.

There will be more to come. My next project is to complete my 2009 BOM called Foolish Goose Tracks.... only the outer pieced border left to do - it will get quilting in November when my studio is complete.